Laila
by towalkinyourlight
Summary: It's been over twenty years since the events of The Host. The humans have grown in number and strength, but so have the Seekers. When a young, ambitious Seeker finds herself in the custody of the humans, she discovers that all she knows about them may be wrong. (Lots of old faces- Wanda, Ian, etc.- and some new ones. First fanfic, so I'm still getting the hang of things. R&R!)
1. Chapter 1: Dreamt

AN: I'm submitting this story to a contest, so I thought I'd upload it here to see the general reception it got. This first chapter is the most mature it's going to get. Read and review, but above all, enjoy the story! I do not own _The Host_, unfortunately Stephanie Meyer does. I sure as heck wish I owned Ian, though.

The first thing I notice is something warm and soft against my lips.

This confuses me. I have never felt anything like it before.

As I become more aware, I realize I am lying down, cushioned all underneath me, especially under my head. I come to the conclusion that I am lying on a mattress and pillow. This makes more sense. The last thing I remember before the pressure on my lips is trying to fall asleep.

I also notice a heavy weight on top of me. A blanket? No, much too heavy for that. Slowly, I begin to feel another pressure, this one moving up and down my sides, my back, just as soft and warm as the pressure on my mouth.

The softness against my lips has transformed into gently moving patterns that still press against my mouth. This excites me, for some unknown reason. I am very confused. My brain doesn't seem to be working properly, or it is simply refusing to tell me what's happening.

I am still working through my bewilderment when the pressure on my lips, which had been growing more pronounced every second, moves down my jaw, down my neck.

I gasp and my eyes fly open.

I have correctly assessed that I am in a bed, though most definitely not the one in my room. Instead of my ceiling being above me, there is nothing but the open night sky and billions of stars. On the ground, desert sand stretches out as far as the eye can see in every direction. However, off the foot of the bed, in the distance, lies a group of sandy mountain peaks.

But I do not focus on this.

Instead, I focus on the mop of hair, seemingly spun from pure gold, that tickles my chin and the soft pressure, which I now recognize as a pair of lips, brushes against my collarbone.

I gasp again, and the head lifts up to look at me.

My mind rushes to absorb every detail. Strong jaw. Straight, small nose. A slightly puckered, slightly swollen pink mouth. But most of all, beautiful sapphire blue eyes inlaid into ivory skin. Eyes that seem to go straight to depths of me. Eyes that hold so much intensity I can barely control the butterflies in my stomach.

Eyes that hold no silver reflection that a soul's should.

Every instinct, all the knowledge that I have, screams at me to run, to get away from this human boy hovering over me. But my heart, silent until this point, whispers reassurances. It tells me I have nothing to worry about, or to be afraid of. This boy means me no harm.

Seeming to sense my internal struggle, the boy smiles- a beautiful, heart-stopping thing- and leans down to kiss me once more. My hands come up and twirl in his hair, on instinct.

Then he whispers something soft and gentle and barely audible against my lips.

_I love you._

I sit bolt upright in my bed, gasping. For a moment, I look around, trying to orient myself- I am safely back in my room. Then my stomach jumps, and I barely have time to scramble out of bed to the restroom before my stomach heaves its contents.

After the nausea subsides, I shakily stand up, flush the toilet, and stumble to the sink. I rinse my mouth out, then splash water on my face, trying to calm down. Pressing my hand to my chest, I can feel my racing heartbeat. It is going the same tempo that it was in the dream. Perhaps it is still desperately trying to send a message, to communicate with another heartbeat pressed against it…

I shiver and splash more water on my face, trying to forget. I am somewhat successful. Already the details are starting to fade. There is little I can remember: a starry night sky, warm skin, a dusty mountain range, a handsome face, gold and sapphire and ivory…

I splash water on my face once more, pushing the last few memories to the back of my mind, though I do not get rid of them completely. Perhaps I will visit my new Comforter today. He will want to know these simple details. They may, in turn, help him help me.

Sighing, I glance through the doorway to the clock on my dresser. It reads 3:47 am. I still have a few more hours to sleep.

I rinse out my mouth again and climb back into my bed. For a long time, I lay there, trying not to think. Yet, as my eyes drift closed, I find myself thinking about the odd dream, and whether or not it will recur. As sleep overcomes me, I pray it will not return, but almost hope that it will.

_Beep. Beep. Beepbeepbeep. _

I roll over and turn my alarm off, checking the time as I do. 7 am. The same time I get up every morning. But this morning, it's different. I feel refreshed and completely rested, and a warm, tingling feeling has settled in my stomach. This is strange, even for the morning person this host is. I shouldn't feel this good after having an unsettling dream that caused me to throw up at 4 o'clock in the morning.

Sighing, I push back the covers and pad bare-footed to my closet. Searching through my clothes, I finally decide on a white, button-up sweater, white skinny jeans, and my favorite tan, high-heeled, tie-up ankle boots. My long, auburn hair goes up into its traditional high ponytail. As I'm applying my simple make-up, I glance over at my clock. It's only 7:15, and I realize if I forgo breakfast until I get to the office, I can probably visit my Comforter before I'm needed at my Calling.

Just in case, I call my coworker, Damian, and tell him I might be late. He politely asks why, and I tell him I need to visit my Comforter, and he tells me he will spread the word. I thank him, and the moment we hang up, I grab my keys and climb into my shiny silver car.

When I arrive at my Comforter's house, I am unnecessarily nervous. I have only been to talk to him six or seven times since I was transferred from London. My mother was very resistant for me to leave, considering how young I am, but the only reason she approved was when she read about my Comforter. If he can be accepted by my over-protective mother, he is good enough for me.

I raise a shaky fist and knock on his door. The door opens almost immediately, and I am greeted with my Comforter's kind face.

"Good morning, Laila! What brings you here this morning?" He smiles heartily. I take note of his loose shirt and pajama pants. I bite my lip nervously.

"I was wondering if I could talk to you for a moment, but if I've woken you up, then-"

"No, I was already up. Won't you come in?" He asks. I nod, and step into his house. It, as always, is incredibly tidy and smells clean. I go into his living room, and he goes into the kitchen. I take my usual chair: the cushioned love seat in the corner. As I settle in, I already begin to feel better. This soul, Sings to the Sky, is most definitely born to be a Comforter. His calming demeanor radiates through his home. Though I miss my old Comforter in London, Sings to the Sky has been good to me.

After a moment, he brings in a tray of drinks and muffins and sets it on the coffee table in front of me. I pick up a poppy seed muffin and one of the crystal glasses, and smile as I recognize the contents.

"You made lemonade? And muffins?" I ask him as he settles in his favorite seat across from me: an elaborately carved armchair. He smiles warmly at me. I take a small bite of the muffin and set it aside for later. Then, picking up the glass of lemonade, I take a sip. Just as usual, it tastes fantastic. Not too sour, not too sweet. It's room temperature- the only unfortunate thing about it. I think it tastes best when it's ice cold. I don't comment on this to Sings to the Sky; he does so much for me already.

"Of course, Laila. I know they're your favorite." He grabs a glass of his own.

"Thank you, Sings to the Sky. You are very thoughtful."

"You're welcome. Now, what brings you out here this morning?"

"Well, Comforter, I had a very unsettling dream last night, and I hoped I could speak with you about it." He nods, and I take a deep breath before beginning.

I tell him the basic idea of it- I was kissing someone- and the few specific details I do remember. A blush creeps into my cheeks as I speak of the odd feeling it sent spinning through me. I also tell him how I woke with a start and almost immediately threw up. He is silent through most of my tirade and occasionally smiles sympathetically at me.

"I just don't know what to think, Sings to the Sky." I finish with a sigh. "It was such an unsettling dream. I've never had one so vivid before."

"Would you like to hear my theory?" He asks politely.

"Of course. It's why I came to see you." I reply. He takes a deep breath and begins.

"My guess is that your host's body is simply calling out for a partner. As you know, a human body through certain changes at this point in life, making a mate more desirable, and-"

"Yes, I know. " I cut him off, the blush coming back. I don't want to have this discussion with him; any mention of it makes me terribly embarrassed.

"Have you pursued this kind of relationship yet?" He questions.

"Well… yes, but nothing ever felt quite right." I reply glumly, thinking of Damian's friendly face. Sings to the Sky smiles at me sympathetically.

"Don't worry Laila. You are still so young; there is still so much time for you to find a partner." He assures me, and I smile vaguely. Patience does not sit well in this host. "Now, since you're here, let's talk about how you're adjusting to living here. It's been about two months since you've moved in, am I correct?" He questions. I nod.

"Yes, two months and a week and a half." I say automatically.

"And do you like it here?" He asks

"Yeah, I do. It's a lot warmer here." I smile. "Although, the way your hosts talk is odd." Sings to the Sky chuckles.

"It does take some getting used to." He smiles. "Have you spoken to your family recently?" My smile slides off my face. The homesickness and being away from my parents has been quite hard on me the past few weeks.

"Yeah, I called them last Thursday. It was my mum's birthday, so I thought I'd give her my love. I sent her a snow globe from one of the souvenir shops in town as a present. She collects them." I say.

"How nice." Sings to the Sky says. "Maybe next year you can have them come visit you for her birthday instead of sending Arizona to her."

I nod and smile vaguely, taking a quick glance at the clock. With a jolt, I realize I have to leave right away to get to my Calling before I'm very late.

"I'm sorry, but I have to leave now." I apologize.

"Alright, I'll escort you out. And Laila, I would suggest going to a Healer today, just to make sure you aren't sick." He says as we walk out of his house to my car. I thank him and wish a good day, telling him I'll go to the Healing facility after work while I'm climbing into my car and starting it. As I drive away, watching him wave at me from his driveway, I get the sudden sense that I will never see him again. This feeling is followed by two contradicting ones: an urge to turn right back around and hole up in Sings to the Sky's house, and an overwhelming sense of relief. Shaking all of it off, I head in the direction of the Seeker's office.


	2. Chapter 2: Found

AN: Thanks for the reviews! Shucks, I shouldn't feel so flattered… but I do. Favoriting my story was a very much appreciated, also, so thanks again. I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Also, because I'm pretty new, if anyone has any tips on just about anything, let me know. Once again, I do not own The Host, Miss Stephanie Meyer does (ugh). Enjoy reading!

I slide into a parking space at the Seekers' office building half an hour later. Even though I am already late, I take a moment to admire the sights in front of me. Our building is simple, nothing too remarkable compared to the buildings around it, but I have come to love it in all its simplicity. Three walls of the one story building are made entirely of glass, stretching from the ground all the way up to the twenty-foot ceiling. It makes the entire room visible from outside, and creates a magnificent, panoramic view of the surrounding city from the inside. The fourth wall is made of a pure white stone that curves around to the two adjacent walls, providing privacy for the bathrooms that wall houses. The ceiling is made of a thin but sturdy layer of white stone, with a dry wall ceiling inside; the floor is made entirely of white tile flecked with silver, glittery specks of crushed rock. There are eighteen white, sterile desks evenly spaced around the room with a slim computer on each one and a cushioned chair tucked neatly underneath. Only twelve of the desks are currently being used; ten Seekers, including me, are stationed here until further notice, with two being used by a Seeker couple visiting on assignment. I can see them all now; bustling around and gathering information, all in the clean white outfits that signify a one's calling as a Seeker in this town. Everything about the building and those in it embodies the souls' philosophy: full of light, clean, pure.

One of my coworkers, a young woman named Thousand Petals, notices me sitting in my car and smiles. Only a few years older than me, she is one of the most beautiful hosts I've ever seen. Her long golden hair, which normally falls stick-straight to her hips, is today pulled into a long braid over her shoulder. Her figure is tall and slim with small curves that show her womanly body, but aren't overbearing. Her oval face houses small, blue-gray eyes that seem very bright with the silver of the souls behind them; intelligent eyes that are constantly flitting to and fro to take in her surroundings. She has a wide, full mouth and a small nose that curves slightly at the end. I personally find it hard to believe she hasn't been partnered, but I would never say such a thing out loud. She raises her slim hand and waves me in with a kind smile. A small smile crossed my faces and, pushing the dream out of my mind, I climb out of my vehicle and walk into the building.

The moment I step inside, I'm greeted with the happy hellos of my fellow Seekers. They are all busily working at something. Azure, a portly middle-age woman with stunningly blue eyes; Upside-Down Song, a short, sixty something man with olive skin and dark hair; and Fire Weaver, a young man with a shocking mop of orange hair, are all leaning over a map of the surrounding area, contemplating where the human rebels could be hiding based on where we've tracked them so far. Glides Quickly, a thirty year old man with a pudgy frame, and Brightly Shines, a dark haired, dark skinned young woman with almost black eyes, are monitoring the radios where the visiting couple, June and Firstling, are out on the road, closely watching the areas where much of the human activity has been reported. The couple, in their late thirties, are both tall and athletic, both with dark blond hair that's twined with strands of gray. Ryan, tall, blond, twenty-three, and devastatingly handsome, is perched on his desk, intently reading over a report, while Damian, chocolate-skinned and in his early thirties, and Flowers of Ice, a fifty-something, lofty woman with salt and pepper hair, are lowly discussing a recent sighting in the far corner of the office.

I cross over to where Thousand Petals is motioning me to her. Her smile widens as I approach.

"Good morning, Laila. Damian said that you were going to visit your Comforter this morning. Are you feeling okay?" She questions, concerned. I smile graciously at her concern.

"Yes, I'm perfectly well. Just thought I'd pay him a visit, that's all." I say, though this isn't completely the truth. I just don't know if I want to share my strange experience with anyone, at least not yet.

"Well, I'm glad you're all right." She smiles sympathetically. "Now, I was working on some statistics for the news report tonight concerning the humans' activity, I was wondering if you could help me?" She asks me.

"Of course I will. I don't think I have any assignments I need to work on today." I respond, pulling the chair of my desk over to her.

Most of the rest of the day is spent gathering information for that night's news. We are trying not to alarm anyone, but the people need to be aware of the dangers that are out there, and the threat the humans pose to us. We break for lunch just as the sun is at its highest point. Some of the group leaves to get food from a local café, as usual, but the youngest five of us stay behind.

It is my favorite part of the day, spending this time conversing with my fellow Seekers. They all have such interesting lives, and they love sharing their stories. Today, Ryan is telling us stories of his life as a bear. I love when he tells stories; normally, he is terribly shy, especially around Thousand Petals, whom he has a large crush on, but when he tells stories, he comes to life. He becomes enthralling and captivating and animated in a way that he isn't in his day-to-day life. His eyes seem to glow with excitement, and you find yourself hanging onto his every word. As he speaks, I notice with a smile that Thousand Petals is watching him with rapt admiration.

All too soon however, our lunches have disappeared and the others are trickling back from the café. The work starts up again, and goes on and on as the sun sinks in the sky.

All of us are sitting calmly at our desks, when Glides Quickly let out a yelp. We all look over to see both Glides and Brightly frantically writing things down and speaking in panic-filled tones that are so rapid they're practically indecipherable. Damian hurries over to their desks, while the rest of us sit frozen with wide eyes, our conversations silenced. Ryan shoots a worried glance at me, which I return.

Damian leans over the two, listening intently to what is happening. For the most part they completely ignore him as his eyes grow wide and panicked. Suddenly, Glides rips a piece of paper off his notepad and shoves it Damian, not taking his eyes off the radio for a second. Damian strides over to us determinedly, trying to hide the panic in his eyes.

"Alright, Seekers, there's been a sighting. Firstling and June pulled a jeep over for going over the speed limit, and when they realized the people in the truck were human, they tried to apprehend and arrest them, but the humans pulled out their guns and sped off. They're following the humans right now, but it's not enough; there's a moving truck behind them, obviously full of humans, that's shooting at them. I've told them to back off and follow them, but not too closely. We need to leave right away." He starts to hand out assignments. "Thousand Petals, Laila, and Ryan, you're coming with me to help Firstling and June chase down the humans. Fire Weaver, Upside-Down Song, Azure, and Flowers of Ice, you're the back-up in case we need any. Glides Quickly and Brightly Shines will continue monitoring the radios. You all know how to contact each other?" He questions, and we all respond with a curt nod. "Let's go then."

We all jump into action immediately. The four in back-up immediately dash over to where Glides and Brightly are sitting and plug their headsets into the radio. I yank open the drawer in my desk to reveal my gun. With a deep breath, I pick it up quickly and put it in the holster that I strapped through my belt loops. I try not to gag as its heavy weight settles against my leg. It is such a repulsive thing, that weapon. It is the worst part of the Calling. Shuddering, I dash outside to start my car. Within a few moments, the four of us our on our way, the sirens on the top of our cars blaring. I pass Damian and Ryan in their car, then pull in behind Thousand Petals.

Even going as fast as safely possible, it still takes too long, much too long, to reach where Firstling and June are. They had fallen far behind the humans, their guns shooting a lot farther than we'd anticipated. We park next to the pair where they are pulled over on the side of the dusty highway, quickly changing a shot-out tire on their car.

"I'm so sorry we got so behind." June apologizes tearfully to Damian while Firstling shoves the flat tire into the trunk of the car. "We had no idea how efficient their guns were, we didn't anticipate our tire-"

"You don't have to worry, June." Damian interrupts. "We can still find them, and like you said, you had no idea what they were capable of." He turns to the rest of us to give us more instructions. "All right everyone, back in your cars, see if you can pick them up on the radar."

We all dash back to our vehicles. I jump in the driver's seat, and flip on the radar. The machine immediately picks up every vehicle in a hundred mile radius. I quickly filter the search down to the ones driving on this highway, which leaves seven on the road, all traveling in the direction the humans went. I have no idea what to do now; the radar only tracks the speeds of the cars and where they are heading. There's no way to look at the profiles of the cars, the upgrade hasn't been shipped to our offices yet. Frustrated, I glance over at Thousand Petal's car. She, too, has a frustrated scowl on her face as she fumbles around with the buttons.

A sudden, vivid image of the desert from my dream flashes across my mind, as does a wild thought. I push it to the back of my head as I hurriedly punch in another filter into the radar. Hadn't Damian said that the humans had been pulled over for speeding? Maybe they would be doing the same thing, knowing that are on their tail. The search yields to distinct results. Two cars.

The humans.

AN: Oh! Almost forgot! I don't have a regular update schedule. I'm two chapters ahead of what I'm posting right now, but that might not last long. Thanks again for the support! Drop a review if you're feeling up to it.


	3. Chapter 3: Lost

AN: Sorry, this chapter is a bit shorter than the others. I decided to do some major rewriting for the next couple of chapters, which is why this one took longer to get posted. Also, to the guest who reviewed last time, thank you so much! One last thing and then you can read: if you notice any grammatical mistakes, let me know. Being OCD has its benefits, but I do miss things sometimes. Hope you enjoy the chapter!

"I've got them! I have located the humans. They are traveling southward, about twenty-five miles away, driving a moving truck and an old jeep, going slightly above speed limit. The moving truck is about a mile behind the jeep. Pursuit beginning now. Back-up, stand-by. Use extra precaution. They are armed." I speak smoothly into the radio, using the Seeker jargon I have grown accustomed to. My high, melodic voice goes clearly through to the others. Adrenaline courses through my veins, and the thrill of the chase fills me. It's been over a year since I caught any humans, and the thought of it made me feel like I wasn't good enough at my Calling. I push the thought of the absurd dream this morning to the back of my mind, focusing instead on catching up to the humans. Slamming down on the accelerator, I peel out onto the road.

As I speed faster down the highway, the three other Seeker cars pull out behind me. Glancing in the rearview mirror to make sure they're keeping up, I push the gas pedal all the way down. My speedometer quickly maxes out at 120 mph. The desert flies by in a blur as we desperately draw closer to the humans. I glance at my radar twice to make sure that we are still on their tail. As we turn a corner, Damian and Ryan in their car and Thousand Petals in hers pass on the right side of me. We are approaching the rebels quickly, only about five miles away from them now.

Suddenly, the road turns sharply right and cuts through a low mountain range. A dark tunnel covers the road ahead of me. I slow down, letting Firstling and June pass me in their car. I feel an odd premonition of danger, something a soul rarely feels. My speedometer drops again, from 90 to 65.

The other cars' taillights disappear around a sharp turn to the left. Before I can round the corner myself, I hear gunshots and several screeching crashes. My heart rate quickens and I round the corner.

Gasping, I stare at the wreckage of the other Seeker cars. Firstling and June's car is smoking, crushed against the wall of the tunnel close to the exit, its tires blown out. Thousand Petal's car is sideways at the end of the tunnel, Damian and Ryan's car t-boned into its side. I can see Thousand Petals in the t-boned car, unconscious against the steering wheel.

I slam on the brakes, as the moving van, which had been parked sideways on the road just outside the end of the tunnel, peels out and begins driving away. Lunging out of my car, my gun is out of its holster and into my right hand in one smooth motion. I take long strides forward, shooting bullet after bullet into the back of the van, my heels clicking against the pavement. The van keeps picking up speed until I can no longer shoot it. Muttering, under my breath, I let my gun clatter to the ground and hurry over to the Seekers' demolished cars.

With a little a bit of effort from everyone, all the Seekers get out of their cars. Damian, to my relief, has not been injured terribly, just scratches from the broken glass on his hands and an aching pain in his neck. He radios in on one of the cars' radios to inform the back-up of the situation, urging them to come as quickly as possible, while I gently try to wake up the unconscious Thousand Petals. A long cut at her hairline is letting an alarming amount of blood into her golden blond hair. Ryan, with a multitude of cuts on his hands, stands tensely over us as I cradle Thousand Petal's head. Eventually, her eyelids flutter open, revealing dazed but conscious blue-gray eyes. Ryan and I let out a sigh of relief as she takes in her surroundings. Transferring her head to Ryan's lap as he falls to the ground next to her, I dash over to help the others.

After assuring that Firstling and June are all right, I make a hasty plan and explain it to the other Seekers.

"You all wait here for back-up, and I'll follow the rebels, slow them if I can." I explain. The others look concerned.

"You could be injured, Laila. The humans are dangerous." Damian frowns. His white Seeker outfit sharply contrasts with his dark chocolate skin.

"I'll be careful." I speak over my shoulder, already heading back to my sleek silver car. "We can't afford to lose them, not again. Not when we're so close to having them." I slam my door shut and start the engine before anyone else can protest.

Carefully weaving my way through the wreckage, I make it back out onto the open road, gracefully making the sharp turns. This stretch of the highway is deserted, so I don't have to worry about running into anyone, easing my mind slightly.

I gratefully take in the surrounding mesas and desert. The muted oranges and reds and yellows and browns are a sight to behold, at least to my eyes. It is in such contrast with my hometown of rainy London, where everything is varying shades of gray.

Turning around one of the mesas, I barely have time to avoid hitting the humans' moving van, parked sideways across the road. I slam on the brakes, yanking the wheel to the left to avoid hitting the vehicle. I know I'm in trouble the second I skid off the road at high speeds. In a rush of movement, my car is flipping side over side towards the desert sand. I grimace and whimper in pain as I am thrown around in the front seat, cursing myself for not buckling.

Finally, the car comes to a rest right side up, shell crushed and windows shattered, a good distance away from the road. Everything seems strangely muffled as I peel myself off the passenger seat. Clumsily, I kick the door open and stumble out of the wreckage. Everything is blurry, and I'm incredibly dizzy. A headache is forming, and I raise a weighty hand to my head, only to pull it away and find it red and sticky.

I stumble back towards the road, hoping someone will find me there. However, I only make it halfway before I flop face-first to the ground, my body suddenly very heavy. Rolling over, I feel consciousness fading. Staring into the blurry sky, I vaguely hear footsteps approaching. Soon five males stand over me, one looking barely older than me. My eyelids are flitting shut, but I still hear their distant, echoey voices.

"Look at her…"

"She needs to get to Doc, and soon…"

"She barely looks old enough to have a Calling, let alone be a Seeker…"

I blink slowly, and right before consciousness flees, the young man bends close to my face. He has beautiful, smiling blue eyes.

"Welcome to the new age, dear." He whispers in my ear.

My eyes close, and everything goes black.

AN: sorry, short chapter and another cliffhanger. I'm awful. Anyways, I'm debating changing the summary. The story is about Laila and from her point of view the whole time, but I don't think the summary indicates that. Any thoughts? Read and review, my friends, if you please.


	4. Chapter 4: Awakened

AN: Hello everyone! Sorry to leave you all waiting. I had several family reunions and a vacation, so I've been quite busy. I also didn't have any future chapters written before I posted Chapter 3, so I had some writing to do. This one is a bit longer than the previous ones, so I hope you enjoy.

_A starry desert sky… blue and gold and ivory…_

Slowly, I float back to consciousness. As awareness trickles in, so does the pain; an aching throb grows within me as I wake up, resonating through me, seeming to quiver through every bone and muscle. Without opening my eyes, I let out a low moan. There's a rustling of fabric and a small, soft hand is pressed against my cheek.

"Hello, can you hear me? Miss, can you hear me?" A soft, feminine voice says quietly in my ear. I groan again; even the quietness of her voice sends spikes of pain into my skull.

"Doc, she's waking up!" The voice says, away from me this time. "Miss, can you open your eyes? I'm sorry; I don't know your name. Can you hear me?" When I don't respond- the pain makes it too hard to think, much less speak- she speaks again, a little hesitantly. "You're dressed like a Seeker… are you a Seeker? Can you hear me? Seeker, can you open your eyes?" She asks again. I try an attempt at speaking.

"What's… what's going on?" I mumble shakily, and then gasp as the vibrations send pain shooting into my head.

"Doc!" The woman's panicky voice all but yells, which doesn't help at all. "Doc, I think she needs the No Pain." Rustling and low voices bounce around my head as the woman and someone else- Doc, presumably- scurry around whatever room I'm in. Tears leak out of the corner of my eyes as I try to block everything out, try to get some control of the pain.

The soft hand jerks my mouth open- I had been gritting my teeth- and forces something onto my tongue. I moan a mumbled "No" and the soft hand runs through my hair, and then tips some water down my throat. Her voice sounds shaky when she speaks.

"Oh, sweetie, it's just No Pain, don't worry, please, we're not going to hurt you." She whispers pleadingly, her fingers running through my hair. "Please, you have to trust us."

Tears continue to run down my face as the pain slowly fades away, the soft hand running through my hair all the while. After what seems like an eternity, but what is in reality probably only a few minutes, the pain disappears and my eyes flutter open. Above me, purple, holey rock makes up the ceiling of wherever I am. I turn my head and find myself staring into the eyes of another Soul. I breathe a sigh of relief at the familiar sight. The humans at the crash must have left me behind, a thought I welcome readily.

"I'm glad to see the pain's gone away." The woman says, and I connect the soft voice I heard to her.

She leans back slightly and at first I am astonished, thinking that Thousand Petals is sitting next to me, but I quickly notice all the differences between this woman and my friend. The woman sitting next to me has almost an ageless quality about her; with her tiny frame, and small features, she could be twenty or fifty. The silver of the soul in her eyes blends in well with her grey irises. Golden, curly hair, frames her pale face, which is covered in silvery freckles. The contrast of color intrigues me, keeping my focus on her.

"Where am I?" I whisper. She peeks over her shoulder at someone, and then turns back.

"You're in a network of mountain caves, but that's all I can tell you, I'm sorry. But don't worry," She assures me when she sees my panicked look. "We'll keep you safe here. Right, Doc?" She looks back over her shoulder and smiles at someone. I tilt my head around her and watch as a man turns around from a makeshift desk made of crates, a man that I can only describe as in-between: his hair is in between blonde and brown, his skin is in between tan and pale. As he looks at us, I see that his eyes are the same way: in between green and blue and brown-

My blood goes cold as I realize what I'm seeing. This man does not have a silvery glint behind his eyes, the glint that I am so accustomed to and that I am trained to spot. While his eyes appear kind, they are the simple watery eyes of a human.

I let out a shriek and sit bolt upright. Both the woman and the man jump into action, their eyes wide and panicked.

"What's wrong?" The woman asks me desperately as she attempts to keep me on the small cot on which I am laying, instead of running as far away as I can, which is my wholehearted plan.

"He's human, he's human!" I scream, trying to tear away. With a jerk, I pull myself out of the woman's grip, and half lunge, half fall off the cot.

"Somebody help me!" I scream, trying to pull myself off the floor, but the blood suddenly rushes to my head and the world spins.

"Doc, she's freaking out, she needs to be calmed down! She's going to hurt herself!" I hear the woman say as I try to regain my balance. There is the sound of hurried footsteps as I manage to get to my knees, and then a white cloud of vapor envelops my face.

"What…" I gasp, but that is all I get out before the vapor enters my lungs and my world dissolves into black.

I wake up to a pounding headache, sore body, and confused mind, which, while an easier awakening than the previous one, still isn't pleasant. I let my eyes slowly open, and find myself staring at the same rocky ceiling I saw earlier, but only a faint light filters through the room, whereas it was much lighter earlier. I can barely see anything now.

I try to stay calm as I go over previous events in my mind. It takes a while for the pieces to fall into place, to figure out where I am and what I'm doing. This I know: I was chasing the humans and got in a car accident which was, in part, caused by the humans. I must have been seriously injured, which caused me to pass out, but not before I saw a group of men. Humans, or else I wouldn't have ended up where I am, which the woman said was a cave. They captured me, but also the other soul, the woman, who was with me earlier. But she seemed so friendly with them. Had her host taken control? My panicking gets worse as I realize another option: what if she was tortured?

I take a deep breath, trying to control my racing heart and increasingly irrational thoughts. First, I need to get a bearing of where I am, I tell myself, pushing the panic to a far corner of my brain. Turning my head slowly to avoid worsening my headache, I make out what I can in the dim light. A row of cots similar to mine stretch out on either side of me. Past the cots, I can barely make out what I assume is the far wall; the holes on the wall are just shades of black and even deeper shades of black. Turning my head the other direction, I see the source of the dim light- a fading solar powered lamp- sitting on the makeshift desk I saw earlier. The in-between man is nowhere to be seen, and neither is the soul woman.

Gingerly, I pull myself into a sitting position, trying to avoid a deeper headache. There's an odd pulling sensation on the skin of my forehead. I reach up and tentatively find a thin scar on my forehead, running almost parallel to my left eyebrow. I remember the blood on my hand after the car crash; the people who've captured me must have healed me. This confuses me; why would the humans be healing me? They're getting you healthy before they torture you, the terrified little voice in my head whispers. I shake my head, trying not to let the panic get to me. With slow, deliberate movements, I swing my legs off the side of the cot, planting my feet on the cool floor.

"Well, it looks like sleeping beauty has finally awakened." An amused voice says from the darkness. I whip my head around- which makes me dizzy- and try to find the source of the voice. As my vision adjusts and my head slows its spinning, I can just make out a pale figure sitting in the shadow of the desk, the lamplight illuminating just above his head. I try not to panic, and try to rationalize my suddenly racing thoughts; if whoever this is had wanted to hurt me, they would've done so while I was sleeping. The figure- male, judging by the voice- must be able to see better than I can, because the confused and angry and frightened expression on my face makes him chuckle.

With an easy grace, he stands and grabs the lamp, then walks towards me. I back hurriedly to the top of the cot, but he still walks closer. He either doesn't see my panic or doesn't care because he sets the lamp on the floor by my feet and sits on the cot directly across from me.

The dim light brings out his features better. He is tall and slender and very fit, his muscles thrown into relief through his shirt sleeves in the odd lighting. His skin is almost white in the darkness, with a spatter of golden freckles barely darkening his face and arms. As my eyes travel to his face, I recognize him as the young man who spoke to me night before I passed out at the car wreck. His high cheek bones and straight nose are shadowed in the dim light, and his blue eyes look almost black in the dark, though they are undoubtedly and unsurprisingly human. Shaggy blond hair- the same color as the Soul woman's, I note- is brushed sloppily across his forehead. When he sees me studying him, he smiles widely. I duck my head, but not before I catch his straight white teeth bent into a crooked smile.

"You don't have to be afraid, you know." He says casually after a few moments of quiet. "If we wanted to hurt you, we would've done it already." He says, reiterating my thought from earlier, though I still cringe at thought of violence being used against me. I keep my head down, refusing to look up at him again.

"You're cringing?" He scoffs slightly. "You're a Seeker. You've got to be used to the violence, right? I mean, you did shoot at the back of our van." He chuckles. "You've got really good aim, by the way. Shot through three jugs of-"

"That's not something to be proud of," I snap before I can stop myself. I don't know why, but I'm suddenly… angry with him. It's a feeling I've felt only once or twice before, and never to someone I barely knew. I risk a glance at his face, but stop dead when I see his expression; he's smiling so casually, so simply, that I have a hard time being mad at him. I settle for annoyance and glare at the ground as the anger fades just as quickly as it entered.

"So you do have some fire in you." He smirks as I scowl. "I thought you might, especially because you're ginger." My expression becomes confused and he interprets it easily."You're a redhead," he explains. "'Ginger' is slang for someone with red hair. They're supposedly very feisty." Unconsciously, my hand flies to my hair, and I'm slightly wounded. Though I'm grateful for the host I have, I've never been too fond of the red color of my wavy hair, and the boy's comment just adds insult to injury, in a literal sense. However, this, too, the boy reads easily.

"Oh, it's not a bad thing. It's good actually; I like red hair." I peek at the boy and see that, strangely, his cheeks are bright pink, as if he were embarrassed. He quickly changes the subject. "I'm Casey, by the way." He looks at me expectantly, and it takes me several seconds before I realize what he wants.

"I'm Laila." I say quietly, trying to keep my voice as quiet and unthreatening as possible.

"Laila." He smiles, my name rolling off his tongue, and my heart flutters slightly, against all its better judgment. I shoot him a shy smile.

"Casey!" A voice shouts from several meters away. Casey starts slightly, and my small shriek comes out breathy and barely audible.

Turning, I see a tall, handsome man emerging out from the darkness. He has sun-darkened skin and sun-lightened hair. Just like the boy, Casey, he seems to be very fit. I curl tightly up into a ball, trying to blend into the back of the cot.

"Seriously, Uncle Jared, you scared me. What are you doing here?" Casey questions the man. "It's not your turn to watch her." The man scowls.

"I should ask you why _you're_ still here. You were supposed to come get us when she woke up, not make small talk." Jared snaps at Casey.

"Well, I wasn't going to leave her alone and frightened in a place completely unknown to her, even if she is a Seeker. Besides, I figured you guys would be coming to check on me every hour or so anyways. You all seem to have trust issues with me." He rolls his eyes and his uncle's scowl deepens.

"Well… I guess that we should take her to Jeb and your mom now that she's up, though they might be asleep…" The man trails off, looking at me, and I curl up tighter, covering my eyes. After a few seconds, I feel a hand on my head. Glancing up, I see that Casey is standing over my and is looking at me gently.

"So, gingey, we're gonna take you to see my mom and the owner of this lovely estate now. Would you like to walk or do you need us to carry you?" His condescending tone contrasts sharply with his sympathetic expression.

"I can walk." I say irritably.

"Good." He smiles and puts his hands under my armpits, pulling me up with him as he stands. His arms fall away as I get on my feet, and the world suddenly twirls underneath me and the ground starts rushing up to meet me. Casey and Jared each catch one of my arms before I hit the stone floor. I wince at the sudden contact, but I feel too dizzy to jerk away.

"Maybe I can't walk." I mumble. My head still hurts, but everything seems muffled.

"Maybe we should wake up Doc." I hear Jared's voice say from a long ways away. He almost sounds… worried, which makes no sense. Humans don't have feelings like sympathy, I think doubtfully. I put the worry in his voice down as a side-effect of my dizziness.

I try to say "I'm fine" as the room becomes blurrier, but it comes out as "Mmm fmph" as I find I can no longer make my voice work. My legs suddenly turn to jell-o and I fall into the dark cavern that's opened up underneath me.

AN: So, I don't have the next chapter written, so it may be a couple weeks before I can post the next chapter. Thanks for the support, and drop a review if you have the time.


	5. Chapter 5: Befriended

AN: I am so sorry it took so long to update. I had serious writer's block trying to write this; I rewrote this chapter, like, five times. Also, this turned out longer than I expected, so, I hope you enjoy.

"… try the Awake…"

My eyelids flutter open as I breathe in deeply, and I find myself- once again -staring at the purple, Swiss cheese rock ceiling.

"You've just had a rough few days, haven't you?" The Soul woman's voice says pityingly to my right. I twist my head towards her voice, and to my immense relief, it doesn't send spikes of pain shooting into my skull. I take in a deep breath, already feeling the panic starting, but it does little good. My throat closes up and I can't speak. The Soul woman must be able to tell, because she puts a comforting hand on my arm.

"You're going to be all right, I promise. You won't be hurt. Would you like to sit up?" She asks me kindly. I nod, feeling incredibly pale and shaky.

As my back straightens against the wall behind me, the room comes into better view. It is surprisingly well-lit, with bright light coming through the holes in the ceiling. All the walls are riddled with holes of varying shapes and sizes, and a hole at the far end of the room looks big enough and deep enough that a grown man could fit in it- I can't even see the back from where I'm sitting. There are at least a dozen more cots in the cave- all of them empty except mine- but none of this captures my attention for very long when I realize there are other people in the room with the woman and me. My eyes widen and my breath hitches in my throat as I take in the two men sitting around my cot- one on the left side and one at the foot. The man on the left I recognize as the in-between man from when I first woke up here. When he sees me looking at him, he smiles gently at me, and I quickly turn my focus to the other man. While the in-between man looks old, this second man looks ancient. His long, bushy beard is full and white, reminding me of an illustration I saw of Santa Claus in a human mythology book. His face is stoic and unreadable, but his wizened eyes have a mischievous glint in them. When he catches me looking at him, he, too, sends me a smile, but this smile is too much of a smirk to be comforting.

"Whoa, it's all right!" The Soul woman assures me when my muscles tense under her hand. "They're not going to hurt you, either. None of us are here to hurt you. We're here to talk. Is that all right?" She questions me. After a moment of silence, I nod my head, but my heart still races, despite the woman's assurances.

"Wonderful." The woman smiles. "I know you have to be terrified right now; I felt the same way when I first got here. I just want you to know that nobody is going to hurt you in any way. Do you believe me?" I don't believe her, not at all, but instead of saying anything, I just look at her with wide eyes. She looks a bit crestfallen at my lack of response, but continues anyways. "If there's one thing I can promise you, it's that.

"I suppose I should probably introduce myself," she continues, sending me a small smile. "My name is Wanderer, but around here, most people call me Wanda. This is Doc," she points to the in-between man. "He's our resident Doctor- or Healer, if you will. And this is Jeb," she points to the bearded man. "He is in charge of this place, so he makes the rules and takes care of everyone." She smiles fondly at him. "He's an acquired taste, but I'm sure you'll get used to him."

"Hey now." Jeb growls in a deep voice. Wanda chuckles, then turns back to me.

"We were told your name is Laila, is that correct?" I nod. "Well, Laila, how are you feeling? You had quite a crash." She questions me. I don't say anything.

"You can talk to us, Laila. We want to hear what you have to say." Wanda encourages me. Doc chimes in as well.

"Not to mention I need to make sure you're healed. Like Wanda said, you've had a rough few days." He tells me. I hesitate, not sure if I should indulge information on my condition, and then decide to speak. At first, nothing escapes my mouth, so I clear my throat and try again.

"I feel fine." I say quietly. Both Doc and Wanda smile in relief.

"I'm glad to hear that." Doc says. "You were in pretty bad shape when we found you. You had four deep cuts on your forehead and arms, a moderate concussion, two broken ribs and several bruised ones, along with a whole ton of whiplash and minor lacerations."

"I don't… I don't really understand… what happened? How did I get here?" I ask quietly.

"Well, our friends were out getting supplies a few days ago and they saw you were following, so they parked in the road, hoping you'd turn around." Wanda explains. "They didn't know you'd crash, and they might've just healed you and left, but... you were really hurt, and they didn't have the right medications, among other things, so they decided to bring you here." She stutters slightly in the middle of her explanation, and goes slightly red. I wonder what's wrong, but I decide that's too personal a question for safety, so I ask another.

"Where am I?" I ask instead.

"We're in a system of caves in the heart of the Arizona desert." Jeb explains in his deep, growling voice. "We're sittin' on what used to be a volcano. Air pockets in the lava formed these here caves, with a manipulatin' on my part. I stumbled onto this place long before yer kind got here." He shoots a pointed glance in my direction, and I duck my head from his gaze. "It's a pretty self-sustainin' place. Got runnin' water, and I was able to get some sunlight down here so we can grow food. At first, it was jus' me here, but people trickled in over time. Now we got a thrivin' community. We been livin' here for over thirty years now." He beams proudly, but my heart has stopped at his words.

"There are… t-there are more people, then?" I whisper, horrified. Wanda gives my arm a gentle squeeze.

"Yes, about four dozen others live here, but we're in communication with at least a few hundred more." I let out a terrified squeak as she speaks.

"Laila, look at me." I squeeze my eyes shut and shake my head, but she puts her hand under my chin and forces me to look at her. "They are not going to harm you. I know that seems hard to believe; I know that's what you've been trained to believe. But it's not true. Humans can be dangerous sometimes, but only if you make them dangerous. They don't hate our kind anymore. My coming here changed that."

"Why do believe that?" I question her. "Are you being tortured? Are they forcing you to say this?" She chuckles at my concern, which stings a little.

"No, I'm not being tortured. Just like I said, they won't harm you, and they don't harm me. I'm saying this because it's true."

"Why haven't you tried to run away?" Jeb and Doc bristle at the question, but my question has a different effect on Wanda. Her eyes suddenly look distant, and a content smile settles on her mouth.

"Laila, I stay here of my own volition. I wouldn't want to run away." She smiles at me.

"But why?" I ask, almost in hysterics.

"Because I fell in love." She tells me.

Her sentence sends me reeling. She fell in love? With… with a human? That's not possible, I tell myself. There's no way something like that could happen. And besides, love is an abstract concept. It is all just chemicals in your brain. Love isn't a plausible thing; companionship is. And especially not between a Soul and a human! Wanda takes advantage of my stunned silence to move to a different subject.

"Well, since you seem to be doing fine, we're going to move you to your room." Wanda tells me. I startle. What does she mean, 'my room'?

She catches the confusion on my face and explains. "Since you don't need to be in the hospital wing any more, we're going to move you to a cave that you'll be staying in. You don't need to be kept in here- you deserve your own room."

"Plus, it'll be easier to guard you in a room." Jeb adds. I gulp.

"Guard me?" I ask, the quaver in my voice revealing how that thought frightens me. "Am I a prisoner?"

"Oh, dear, of course not." Wanda says.

"We just need to make sure you don't leave." Jeb chuckles. Wanda scowls at him.

"It's more… Laila, we've given you some sensitive information that, if given to the Seekers- the rest of them, anyways- will endanger the lives of everyone living here, and our friends outside of the caves. We don't… we don't trust you yet, Laila." She looks down as she says this, ashamed that she can't trust a fellow Soul. "We need to keep the people safe. We're just going to have someone with you at all times. It won't even be so much of a guard, but more of… more of a babysitter." She stammers for a word. I've recovered enough of my dignity to be affronted by her comment.

"I'm sixteen, not six." I mumble, feeling a twinge of annoyance. Wanda smiles.

"Alright… a chaperone. Not a guard, not a babysitter." She assures me. We're quiet for a moment, then Wanda speaks again.

"Do you have any more questions before we get you settled?" She asks me. I hesitate, my question threatening to spill off the tip of my tongue. I'm not sure I want the answer. After a moment's silence, I voice my last concern.

"Why did you rescue me? You could have let me die, or even let me get rescued by someone else. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you are all good people. But, why me? Why did you give me sympathy? What do you want from me?" I ask. Suddenly, they are the ones that look uncomfortable. They toss secret glances around, and say nothing. The silence stretches on longer than it has before. Finally, Wanda looks at me and speaks.

"We won't burden you with that today." She says quietly, her perpetual smile straightening into a line. The panic that has slowly settled down during the last few minutes rises up again with the feeling of nervous butterflies fluttering around stomach.

"Let's just get you to your room. Someone should be here any second-" She's cut off by a ball of blond hair hurtling through large hole in the far corner of the room. It rights itself after a moment to become the boy I'd met the last time I woke up: Casey. He flashes me a charming smile, and I blush slightly.

"Casey O'Shea, reporting for duty." He announces jovially. Wanda whips around to face Jeb.

"Him?" Wanda exclaims. "You picked him for guard duty?"

"Chaperoning." I mumble, and Wanda shoots me a look that silences me quickly.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Casey looks annoyed. Jeb chuckles.

"They seemed to get along when they met, so, I thought to myself, why not? He knows his way 'round the caves; he can give her the tour and show her to her room." Jeb winks at Casey, who winks back. Wanda looks irritated.

"You do know how old he is, right?" Wanda questions. Casey rolls his eyes.

"My house, my rules." Jeb growls, but his eyes twinkle mischievously. Wanda sighs and sends Jeb a piercing look. He just chuckles again, and she turns to Casey.

"Fine. But so help me, if you screw this up…" She ends threateningly, and his eyes widen. He brings his fingers to his temple in a mock salute.

"Absolutely, ma'am. No worries, ma'am. Will do, ma'am." He responds in quick, clipped words. I stifle a giggle. My nervousness has dissipated in his presence, oddly enough. Then he turns to me and holds out his hands.

"Come on, gingey. Let's go." He smiles at me, and I willingly take his hands.

AN: Thanks for sticking around guys. I'd really appreciate it if you'd drop me a review; I love hearing from you all. I'm working on the next chapter, but I don't know when it will be up. Also, if you need to read something while you're waiting, "Lost Souls" by Seams is great.

Update: I edited this chapter and re-uploaded it.


	6. Chapter 6: Introduced

AN: Happy Holidays everyone! Here's my gift to you. Hope you enjoy this chapter; I worked pretty hard on it. Hopefully, I'll have another chapter up within in the next few weeks, but if not, I'll see you next time.

I'm stumbling along in the dark, trying to keep up with Casey's long stride. Before we left the hospital, Doc told me I was still suffering from the effects of the concussion, and that I should take it easy for the next few days. I'm pretty sure 'taking it easy' does not include hurtling down dark, rocky, unfamiliar hallways at break-neck speeds, but the blue-eyed wonder dragging me through the dark seems not to understand the concept of 'slow'.

Numbness has seeped into my veins, circling through my body and keeping the reality of my situation from sinking in. I'm surrounded by the biggest congregation of humans I've ever heard of? Oh well. Not only are there apparently hundreds of them, but they also seem to be self-sufficient? No biggie. The only reason I'm not dead is for some unknown purpose that I'll serve to them that I shouldn't be 'burdened' with? Okay. Great. What's next? I'm sure it'll all come crashing down in a little while, but as of right now, the shock of all that I've learned is keeping me situated high above it all in a happy place I've dubbed 'nope, this isn't actually happening.'

Casey tightens his "supportive" grip on my upper arm and yanks me onward to a rapidly growing light, with no explanation of where we're going. At this point, I can't hear anything besides the sound of my racing heartbeat and my hitched breathing, so even if he was telling me our destination, I wouldn't have heard him. I'm almost ready to say something to him- tell him to slow down, maybe- when we suddenly stop dead at the end of the tunnel, where a bright light threatens to blind me. I stumble to a stop, and throw a hand up to my face, shielding my squinting, unadjusted eyes.

My sight quickly acclimates to the converging brightness, and I bring my hand down, and gasp at the astonishing view before me. I thought I'd run out of surprises in the past few days, but the marvel in front of me assures me that I've still got plenty of surprises to go. A cavern the size of a football field lies before us, at least as tall as it is long. Golden stalks of maturing grain flutter gently in an almost non-existent breeze. Twenty or so people are milling around: some are walking in and out of other tunnels leading out of the cavern while others are attending to the flourishing grain; some are in pairs or in groups, while others are by themselves; some are as young as ten or eleven, and some are as old as sixty or seventy. To my complete surprise, no one even looks up when we enter the cavern, even though the light reflecting off my eyes is sending diamond patterns of brightness in every angle. The only person who even acknowledges our presence is a blonde young woman who pushes past us and mumbles a weary, "Afternoon." Beside me, I hear Casey chuckle at my shock.

"Pretty amazing, right?" He smiles, folding his arms across his chest and leaning against the wall. His tone of voice is just as proud as Jeb's had been earlier.

"Yeah, it really is." I admit quietly, although, truly, it scares me, in some far corner of my overwhelmed brain. "How does the light even get in here?" I ask. This seems to be exactly the right thing to say, because Casey beams even wider.

"I'm glad you asked." He responds, confirming my speculation. "Some of the tunnels in the ceiling lead all the way up to the top, and Jeb lined the sides of them with mirrors so that the sunlight will reflect all the way down here. Pretty cool, huh?" His smile is so big, it's almost giddy. I can't help but smile back. He's so… adorable, in this moment. Bouncing on the balls of his feet, his eyes alight with excitement, he reminds me of the small, energetic puppies I raised when I was young.

"Pretty cool." I nod at him.

"You ready to keep going?" He asks me.

"Sure. How about a little slower this time?" I suggest with a small smile. He grins.

"No guarantees. I haven't given a tour in forever; this is exciting." He smiles cheekily at me.

"So I noticed." I smirk slightly at him. "Onward, I guess." I sigh, and he grabs my hand. I try not to let the fact that my heart starts fluttering bother me. It's just nerves, I tell myself. No reason to worry.

We work our way along the wall around the side of the field to another tunnel on the other side of the cavern. This one is better lit, and is wider than the last tunnel. We walk this time, instead of our previous rapid speed, though I still struggle a little to keep up with Casey's long-legged stride. Our travel is in silence for the first few minutes, but I can tell that, in front of me, Casey is grinning. A sudden, sharp sound echoes from behind me, and I whip around to locate the sound. I swear I can see a flash of movement several meters behind us. Casey notices I've stopped after a moment and turns around to look at what I'm staring out.

"What's wrong?" He questions.

"I thought I heard something." I mutter, feeling stupid. The rush of adrenaline has worn off, and I realize one of the cave's residents was probably just going about their business.

"It was probably just a rock hitting the wall." Casey chuckles, and my breath hitches in my throat. It's a wonderful laugh, I think to myself. "Come on, we're almost to the next stop." He turns around and we start walking, this time next to me instead of in front of me.

Casey whistles a tune I don't recognize as we journey onward, and after a few more minutes, the left wall suddenly opens to a long, rectangular cave. Its walls all have a roughly made counter top carved out of it, with several dilapidated wooden picnic tables in the middle. On the very back wall, several kiln-like ovens are covered in soot.

"This is the kitchen." Casey explains, dragging me through the archway. "And stop number two."

When we step inside, two women come into view. One seems almost as old as Jeb, at least in her seventies, with graying hair pulled into a tight bun on the top of her head. Though her wrinkly face betrays her age, she is tall and agile and obviously fit. Wearing a flour-covered t-shirt, ropy muscles move in her forearms as she kneads what looks to be a hunk of bread dough. Next to her is a younger woman- about in her fifties- with chocolate skin and wild dark hair that is beginning to gray. Endearing streaks of silver run through her loose ponytail. She looks as fit as the older woman, though this woman is a good deal shorter and a good deal plumper. She, too, is kneading a lump of grainy dough.

Neither of them seem to notice us, laughing at an unheard joke, until Casey starts talking.

"Hey ladies, look who's here?" He announces. At first I assume he means me, and I duck my head at the expected attention, but then I see him leaning against a table looking very self-assured. The women turn around and smile at him.

"Well, hello there sugar." The black woman says with a distinctly Southern accent. "What kind of trouble are you getting' into now?" She inquires teasingly.

"Have you come to pester us for food?" The gray-haired one questions smilingly. "Because you know very well your mother said we are not to give you any more food unless we've got her permission. You eat like you're feeding an army." She chuckles, a low, pleasant sound, and turns back to her bread dough. Casey purses his lips in a fake pout.

"Was that a fat joke, Trudy? Do you think I'm fat?" He asks in a quavering voice.

"Absolutely." The black woman chuckles, also turning back to knead her dough. Casey scoffs.

"How rude, Lucina. And after all I've done for you?" He puts his hand on his heart and looks wounded, then turns to me. "What about you, Laila? Do you think I'm fat?"

His question startles me. I'd been caught up watching the jesting conversation that I hadn't realized Casey might include me in it. I'm nervous to say anything in front of the two women, but I manage to mumble out a response.

"N-no…" I say quietly, and Lucina looks back at me, seeming only just now to notice me.

"Oh, well hello there honey!" She shoots me a smile. "I didn't even notice ya standin' there, being so quiet. I take it ya'll are feelin' better, then?" She asks me. I avoid eye contact and nod quickly.

"Oh, the poor dear." Trudy laments. "She's still frightened of us. What on earth did you do to the poor thing, Casey?" She teases. Casey looks wounded again.

"Me?" He asks in mock disbelief. "What on earth would make you think I would ever harass Gingey here?" He shoots me a wink. I feel a blush rise to my cheeks, and try not to be annoyed at my new nickname.

"Gingey?" Trudy chuckles. "You better not let Sharon hear you calling her that. You know how she feels about redhead discrimination." She laughs, and then turns her comments to me. "Is he harassing you, hon? 'Cause you are more than welcome to stay here with us and get away from this bully." My eyes widen and I shake my head. She looks a bit wounded at my passionate decline, but smiles anyways. "Well, if you need a break from this joke, you just let us know."

"Are you hungry darlin'?" Lucina asks without turning around. "We don't have death threats from _your_ mother to keep _you_ on a food ban, so you're more than welcome to eat somethin'" She offers. It's probably very nice of her, but I'm still incredibly suspicious of them all.

"No, thank you." I mumble, looking down at my feet. Only then do I notice that I'm still wearing my ankle boots. No wonder I was having such trouble hurtling down that tunnel earlier.

Doing a quick inspection of my clothes, I realize I'm still wearing the clothes I crashed in, though they're more purplish brown splotched with bloody stains than they are white. My pants have rips in both knees, my blazer is gone, and my thin shirt is covered in dirt. I lean into Casey and whisper quietly into his ear.

"Do you have something different I can change into? I'm a bit filthy." I whisper. A faint shiver runs down his back, confusing me, but he quickly stands up before I can ask him if he's alright.

"Well, ladies, I know you hate to see me leave, but we've got places to go, people to see." He sighs dramatically.

"Oh, thank heavens." Trudy says, just as dramatically as Casey, putting a hand to her heart.

"Hahaha." He laughs sarcastically. Then he smiles at me. "C'mon, let's go."

"Bye, honey!" Lucina calls out as we leave. "And you come back anytime, ya hear?" She cries, and we turn down the hallway and continue walking. Casey chuckles as we walk the same direction as we had earlier. His hands are slung casually in his pockets.

"I adore those women." He smiles. I don't say anything, trying to contemplate the motives behind their kindness. "We'll just skip the other stops and go to your room." When I don't comment, he goes back to humming the unfamiliar tune from earlier.

This walk seems like it takes almost as long as the hurtling one in the dark, but maybe it's because we aren't sprinting down this tunnel. Along the way, he points things out to me: a hole in the wall the leads to a storage room, a rock formation he calls "toes" because it looks like a foot sticking out of the ground, a curtained archway that apparently holds Jeb's office behind it.

We end up back in the cavern with the field for a moment, and it's a good deal louder than before. The people working are leaning tools ups against the walls, and they've gathered together into larger groups, laughing and chattering. Like before, hardly anyone pays attention to us. However, one man with dark hair and a face like Casey's, sends us a smile and a mock salute. Casey smiles and salutes back, and then we turn down a tunnel right next to the one we just exited. I am quiet for a moment, then I finally work up the courage to start a conversation.

"That man looked a lot like you." I say quietly. Casey grins.

"I would hope so; that's my dad."

"Oh." I say, slightly surprised. "He doesn't look that old."

"I'm sure he'll be complimented by that." Casey smiles at me.

"Yeah, I guess so." I mutter. I feel a little embarrassed that I didn't work it out myself. They have the same face, after all.

A sharp noise, similar to the one I heard earlier, echoes behind me. I whip my head around, and see a flash of blonde hair ducking into a corner. Casey must have seen it, too, because he scowls for a moment, then realization hits his face and he lets out an exasperated sigh.

"Mom, you really suck at this tailing thing." He sighs. His face is annoyed, but his eyes look a little hurt.

"I'm-I'm not tailing you." The blonde head steps into the hallway and becomes Wanda.

I'm confused for a moment. Wanda? But Casey called her mom… Then it clicks in my head, just like it should have with Casey's dad. Wanda had said she'd fallen in love; she must have meant the dark-haired man. Casey was the product of that, presumably. The concept still floors me. How could a Soul ever fall in love with a human? After all that their race has done, and she still fell in love?

I'm vaguely aware of Casey and Wanda having an irritated conversation, but only tune into it when I hear my name being said.

"…perfectly capable of handling it myself." I catch the annoyed end of his sentence. "Come on, Laila, let's go." He grabs my wrist and pulls me forward, leaving Wanda behind us.

"Is everything alright?" I ask after a moment of silence. His shoulders are rigid with tension.

"Only kind of." He sighs and his shoulders go slack. He suddenly looks exhausted. "My mom can't seem to trust me with any responsibility, that's all." The bitterness in his voice makes me said. I try to think of something reassuring to say.

"Maybe she's just worried that I might attack you or something." I mother even though it sounds stupid.

"You're both Souls, she knows full well you wouldn't attack me." He chuckles. "Besides, there's no way you could take me. I'm too strong." He flexes his biceps and smirks at me.

"Maybe I could." I mumble. "I am a trained Seeker, after all."

"Whatever you say." He chuckles again. "Oh, here we are." He leads me down a tunnel to the right.

I'm suddenly bombarded with an abundance of color. A variety of objects hang or lean against archways on either side of the tunnel: curtains, large pallets, quilts, painted doors, shower curtains. I do a quick tally, and count fifteen coverings. High pitched giggles come from behind several of them, and pair of wide eyes whip away behind a quilt when I look in their direction.

"This," Casey explains, "is what the adults have affectionately dubbed the 'Kid's Corner.'" He smiles as the pair of eyes peeks back around the curtain and ducks back inside again. "Although it's generally just the teenagers that sleep down here." I furrow my brows.

"Sleep? These are your rooms?" I question. Casey, perpetually amused, chuckles at my concern.

"We live here, Laila. Of course we sleep here. And we've got a room set up for you, too." We venture down the hall, passing all the different coverings. As we pass the curtained archway, it flutters and more giggles erupt behind it. I count, and at the fifth archway on the left, we stop.

"This is where you'll be staying." Casey explains. He pushes aside the sturdy blue curtain covering the entrance, and I peek inside. It's nothing extraordinary at all; it's maybe eight meters by ten meters wide, with a tall, conical ceiling. The only furnishings are a small nightstand with a couple books on it, and a surprisingly comfortable-looking mattress with a heavy patchwork quilt and pillow folded neatly in the center.

"It's probably not what you're used to." Casey says nervously as I step inside. "It's still a cave, and we have to spread the furniture pretty thin with so many people living here. But, I tried to make sure you got a good mattress, and I put some books on the nightstand in case you get bored." He scratches his neck awkwardly. "And I made sure my room was right across the hall, so I hope that was all right." He seems oddly embarrassed.

"Than… Thanks." I stammer. "Yeah, it's fine." I'm very confused; I don't know why Casey's embarrassed, I don't know why I'm getting a room, I don't know how the humans are being so different than I know them to be. Suddenly, I'm exhausted, even though I've probably slept more in the past few days than I did total in the past month. I plop down on the mattress and let out a sigh.

"Well," Casey says, wringing his hands. "I'm just gonna go get you some clean clothes, so if you wanna take a nap, you can, or you can read or whatever."

"Okay." I yawn. He looks like he's about to say something more, but he just gives a tight smile and steps out of the room.

I sit there in silence for a moment, listening intently for the sound of approaching footsteps, but I hear none. The only noises to be heard are distant and echo-y. The panic inside me has given way to exhaustion, so I grab the pillow and lay across the mattress. I tell myself I'll only just rest my eyes, but as soon as my head hits the soft cushion, I fall quickly asleep.

AN: Okay, here's my responses to the guest reviewers:

Cupcake: He is indeed It talks about it in this chapter, and it'll be discussed more in later chapters.

Guest (reviewed chapter 5 on Aug. 7): It's not soon, but I hope you liked this chapter

Guest (reviewed chapter 5 on Sep. 21): If you're talking about Wanda and Casey, then, yes, she is. Thanks for the review

Thanks for all the review everyone, and please take the time to review this chapter. Happy Holidays!


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